|
HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Can Chili Prevent Heart Disease?
Chili, also known as chile or chili pepper, is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum. Originated in Mexico, chili is widely used in many cuisines as a spice. Capsaicinoids belong to a class of compounds found in chili, and the most common capsaicinoid is capsaicin. Capsaicin is the substance that makes chili hot. The fierier the chili, the greater its capsaicin content. While chili is liked by some and hated by others, it does have some health benefits. Laboratory studies had shown that capsaicin has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. It is not only known for relieving certain kinds of pain but also a widely used ingredient in over-the-counter topical creams and ointments for arthritis. It may also be one that help prevent heart disease. In a study published in August 20, 2014 in the ‘Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry’, researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that capsaicinoids improve the heart and blood vessel health. After feeding capsaicinoids to hamsters that ate high-cholesterol diets, the researchers discovered that capsaicinoids lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing accumulation of cholesterol in the body and increasing its breakdown and excretion in the feces. Capsaicinoids also block action of a gene that makes arteries contract, which can cause dangerous blockages of blood flow. The blocking action allows more blood to flow through blood vessels avoiding possible heart attack and stroke.
Another study published August 4, 2015 in Journal
‘BMJ’ showed significant inverse associations between spicy food consumption and
total and certain cause specific mortality (cancer, ischemic heart diseases, and
respiratory diseases). The study involved 199,293 men and 288,082 women aged
between 30 and 79 years who were free from cancer, heart disease, and stroke at
outset of the study. Between 2004 and 2013, a total of 11,820 men and 8,404
women died.
The researchers from China and USA found that those who consumed spicy foods 6 or 7 days a week showed a 14 percent relative risk reduction in total mortality, compared with those who ate spicy foods less than once a week. The inverse association between spicy food consumption and total mortality was also stronger in those who did not consume alcohol. The researchers’ stratified analysis indicated that the inverse associations of spicy food consumption with certain cause specific deaths (cancer, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes) seemed to be stronger in those who consumed fresh chili than those who consumed non-fresh spicy foods. Compared with non-fresh spicy foods such as dried chili, chili sauce, or chili oil, fresh chili is richer in bioactive ingredients, including capsaicin and other vitamins. Recently, a large new study published December 16, 2019 in the ‘Journal of the American College of Cardiology’ reported that eating chili regularly significantly reduces the risk of dying from major medical problems like heart attack and stroke. Researchers at the Mediterranean Neurological Institute in Pozzilli, Italy used data from the Moli-Sani study, consisting of 22,811 Italian men and women aged 35 or older in the Molise region of southern Italy. Health and eating habits of these participants were followed for an average of 8.2 years. For those participants who consumed meals containing chilis at least 4 times a week had up to a 40 percent lower risk of dying of heart attack, and a nearly 50 percent lower risk of dying of a stroke or other brain condition. It was also found that participants who ate chili had better health regardless of the rest of their diets, even they were less healthy. Furthermore, even people with other risk factors like diabetes, hypertension or a family history of heart disease, enjoyed health benefits from eating chilis.
Nevertheless, people should not start eating chili
to prevent heart disease, just based on the above findings. This is because most
of the studies were observational and none has yet to prove the
cause-and-effect. Anyway, there is no harm to add chili to one’s diet. Just
beware of sweetened chili sauce that contains added sugar, and make sure it does
not contain too much salt (sodium). Date: January 09, 2020
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright
2007-2012 © HowToPreventHeartDisease.com . All Rights Reserved.d........ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
